Since 2017, new merger control thresholds have been in effect in Germany and Austria which do not depend on the revenues generated by the parties but, rather, on the value of the transaction....more
In 2018, we will see new EU legislation being widely implemented as part of the EU Commission’s Digital Single Market (DSM) Strategy. The amendments to the current legal framework are far reaching and will potentially be game...more
1/31/2018
/ 5G Network ,
Broadcasting ,
Cloud Computing ,
Copyright ,
Digital Single Market ,
e-Privacy Directive ,
EU ,
European Copyright Directive ,
Geo-Blocking ,
Infrastructure ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Standards
With the New Year only a few days old, we want to present a short outlook what to expect from European antitrust enforcement in 2018, with a particular focus on Germany. ...more
First come, first served. That’s not the principle behind the clearance of Bitcoin transactions. Equally for other blockchain technology networks, the relevant factor to get a transaction on the next available block is not...more
11/30/2017
/ Blockchain ,
China ,
Competition ,
Connected Cars ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
Energy Sector ,
EU ,
Insurance Industry ,
Net Neutrality ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Popular ,
Smart Devices ,
Statute of Limitations ,
Transportation Industry
On Tuesday 14 November the Hogan Lovells DSM Taskforce (our dedicated pan-EU team of lawyers tracking the Commission’s DSM strategy) had its annual live meeting in Brussels to discuss the progress of the implementation of the...more
The European Union (EU) has recently proposed new rules establishing a framework for the review of foreign investments in the EU on the grounds of security or public order (“Commission Proposal”)....more
On 12 July 2017, the German Federal Government significantly reinforced the barriers for the acquisition of German companies by non-EU companies. The new Regulation for the Amendment of the Foreign Trade and Payments...more
7/18/2017
/ Cloud Computing ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Defense Sector ,
EU ,
Foreign Investment ,
Foreign Trade Regulations ,
Germany ,
Information Technology ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Software ,
Telecommunications Act ,
Voting Rights
In Europe, the United States and countries around the world, drone technology is advancing rapidly, and what used to be considered toys are quickly becoming powerful commercial tools that can provide enormous benefits in...more
On 9 June 2017, the 9th amendment of the German Act Against Restraints of Competition (ARC) entered into effect introducing important amendments for companies to German competition law (please see the highlights of the 9th...more
New German competition law: Germany takes a pioneering role in adapting its competition law to the digital economy (Part 1) -
On 9 June 2017, the 9th amendment of the German Act Against Restraints of Competition (ARC)...more
To regulate or not to regulate: This question becomes relevant for the sharing economy after last week’s European Parliament resolution calling for clear EU guidelines on the collaborative economy. The resolution is a...more
On 12 May 2017 the European Aviation Safety Agency (“EASA“) opened a consultation into sweeping new regulations on the operation of unmanned aircraft systems (“UAS” or drones) in European airspace. Individuals and companies...more
5/16/2017
/ Airspace ,
Aviation Industry ,
Commercial Use ,
Drones ,
EU ,
European Economic Area (EEA) ,
Privacy Concerns ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Technology Sector ,
Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Will Germany establish a “Digital Agency” to monitor compliance with competition law rules in digital markets? Will a German “Digital Antitrust Enforcer” become a role model for a European protectionist approach against...more
The European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager has emphasised two important developments for EU antitrust enforcement, which have emerged from technological advancements:
The Commission is taking proactive...more
3/20/2017
/ Algorithms ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Cartels ,
Competition ,
E-Commerce ,
EU ,
Retail Market ,
Software ,
Technology Sector ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) ,
Whistleblowers
When a parliamentary report cites Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in its recitals and proposes new regulation for robots with artificial intelligence (“AI”), one cannot be sure whether the 19th or the 21st century has inspired...more
2/23/2017
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Driverless Cars ,
Drones ,
EU ,
EU Directive ,
European Commission ,
Internet of Things ,
Medical Devices ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Robotics ,
Robots ,
Safety Standards ,
Technology ,
Technology Sector ,
Young Lawyers
On January 10, 2017, the European Commission released a Communication, a fact sheet, a working document and a public consultation relating to Europe’s “data economy”. The fact sheet states that “data is a new type of...more
1/13/2017
/ Big Data ,
Data Protection ,
Data Transfers ,
Digital Single Market ,
EU ,
EU Data Protection Laws ,
European Commission ,
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
International Data Transfers ,
Personal Data ,
Portability ,
Software ,
Trade Secrets